Devices for the manufacture of bristle products, such as toothbrushes, are well known.
Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,236 describes a double fiber magazine for a brush manufacturing machine, comprising two magazines immovably connected to each other. The magazines are located opposite a picker or bundle plucker. According to this disclosure, each magazine is provided with a separating device and pressing components for pressing the fibers towards the bundle plucker. Moreover, provision is made for a device which alternately loads the fibers beyond the reach of the bundle plucker into one of the two fiber magazines. The double fiber magazine described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,236 finds application, for example, in the manufacture of toothbrushes comprising bristles of different color or different material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,301 describes a method and a device for supplying fibers to a filling tool in a brush manufacturing machine. For each operating cycle, the method comprises the following steps: transporting a bundle of fibers from a selected fiber supply duct to a filling tool by means of a bundle take-up device which cooperates with at least two fiber supply ducts; using, for the selective supply of fibers, movable closing devices which cooperate with supply ends of the fiber supply ducts and ensure, by their movement, that fibers can only be taken from one fiber supply duct at a time by the bundle take-up device. The closing devices are mounted on a common support for simultaneous operation during each operating cycle.
DE 26 43 222 A1 also describes a method and a device for manufacturing brushes. In this specification, a brush manufacturing machine includes a bristle magazine which cooperates with one or several tufting devices. The brush manufacturing machine also includes a feed device for feeding bundled bristles to the magazine, and an opening device for opening the wraps holding the bristle bundles together. The feeding device is located in the transfer area on the magazine input side and includes a conveyor with holding devices for bristle bundles, which is constructed as a belt conveyor or as a chain in loop form.
DE 38 06 160 A1 discloses a pre-processing or work feeding machine for bristles in which the fibers are fed in the form of bundled or wrapped bristle clusters. In this method the wrap of the bristle clusters is opened automatically, and the fibers undergo a cleaning and orientation operation before being fed to the fiber supply ducts of a brush manufacturing machine. For transportation, the filaments are held clamped between flat belts, being thus moved forward in simple manner, in batches in conformity with the operating cycle.
It is a disadvantage of the known methods and constructions of the known filament supply ducts that zones occur in which a continuous filament flow is not allowed to develop. These zones, also referred to as dead zones, have an adverse effect on process safety and product quality.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,719 discloses a device for the manufacture of bristle products of the above-described type wherein a chain sprocket conveying device is provided at one side of the filament package.